The UN Fellowship Programme is coming to an end, and, with no tears, but a new suitcase full of memories & experiences, I am preparing the logistics, administrative, papers and luggages to bring back home, under the Christmas Tree, many smiles, books and faces of the people that guided and helped me.
As I came in January 2016, unaware of what would happen, with just the curiosity & the fear of discovering a new country, a new continent, Africa, and getting to know the people, the places and the faces, the culture and the language, the flight back home would be rich in my heart of Senegal and of West Africa. With more energy to come back to Africa, a huge continent, ready & open to be discovered and to take care of.
This year I grew up as a person, &, as I put all my energy into work, into an amazing agency, UNESCO Dakar, whose mission is to instill Peace in the minds of Women and Men, through Culture, the study of Sciences, Education for All, through Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Freedom of Speech and protection of Journalists in the lines of duty: This all, to build more peaceful societies, inclusive, multicultural, sustainable, democratic and willing to make an impact for their populations, which, in turn, cascade to the well-being of all, and to the peace & dialogue of all nations. Starting to know this huge continent, I feel very much inclined to the notion of PanAfricanism, ONE for all, although I am also very much aware of the challenges, the technical and logistics difficulties that can hamper development and progress.
With my little- the beginning of- the African chapter of my life– here are the first (of a long series I believe) of learnings that I wish to share & keep in my heart for the following steps:
1. Review your notion of Time
Things are slower here. This is a fact. Transports, Get things done, work, expectations from the society. Here Family is important, conversations are important. Saying Hello is important. Leave your watch at home, breathe and take in, stay calm and do not rush into things.
2. Patience is the key
Sometimes things do not roll out the way you want them to be. You have a rendez-vous, and the person does not show up. The security guard tells you that the bank opens at 16:00, and then you wait 45 minutes and nothing happens. You ask questions, you ask why, you get impatient, you tell him that you need to do other things afterwards. Nothing is going to stop the flow of time, so do not take it personally. Just review the notion of time ( and i suggest you stop looking at the clock ticking, i found myself losing my watch many times because of no special use)
People may forget activities ( which, in the Western world, are very much important to us) but they do not forget YOU as a person. So be patient, bring chewing gum with you to offer, and some candies so that you can strike up a conversation, let the time pass and enjoy the chats ( not feeling that you are “losing time” – this does not exist here, a conversation with a person ( a stranger or a friend) can always teach you something. I learned here in Senegal, the land of the Teranga (of Peace & Solidarity) where the Sun shines and where the Ocean is always there in front of you, that, as the fishermen taught me here, we need all to be fishermen, learn to wait for the good fish, and then – at the right moment-be ready and strong to get it. It is ALL a matter of time and patience, good waiting, good peaceful souls.
3. Listening
Most of the times you will have to listen to understand what goes on. Africa is a culture based on oral passing, traditions and deep knowledge of history. Therefore, you need to stay silent most of the times, and listen. Moreover, there is neither so much music going on, nor advertisements to distract you on the streets or lights or decorations. You need to listen to people, and to your inner soul, what it tells you. So calmness, peace in your mind is something you need to work on. Positive messages, good childhood memories help, upbeat music, company with happy friends are keys to peace.
4. Imagine other ways of entertainments (id est, Books can become your best friends again)
Many times you will find yourself alone, with no family around, no friends around, in remote or isolated areas, with no one to talk to. A book and a candle ( if there is no electricity, no internet connection and no lights) can be good friends. A scrap book to write down your notes and your personal thoughts, to speak to yourself while writing can also be a great methodology to let the time pass and calm your heart and your solitude. No one wants to be alone on this Earth, this is why people started writing and singing, to reach the unreachable places on the planet and keep someone company, thanks to, printed documents, papers and the radio to broadcast songs or TV to look at shows, programs and images. You will find you develop a huge interior & imaginative life.
5. Speaking more about your life
(I am realizing i am following a thread, the bullet points follow one another) So, whenever you are not alone anymore, and you find company and good friends, you learn to appreciate the company, encourage others, just be happy and grateful that you are around people and you can listen ( of course) but also talk about you. Do not be fearful or afraid, you are not showing off, you are just telling your life ( and, trust me, there are many people who are freely telling the stories of their lives without you even asking). So, enjoy the ride, let yourself free, and share something more about your life, and your previous life experiences.
6. Make new friendships
By speaking, talking and going out all together, you make new friends, you sense the ones you wish to be around more, and you make your own choices. NO ONE forces you to stay with someone you do not like, and no one is telling you to speak with everybody. CHOOSE with your mind and heart, and keep the few ones forever in you.
7. Smile, Wait, and Learn
Once you do not know the answer to some questions, just smile, wait, do some research and be willing to open your heart, challenge the statu quo, and learn. You cannot be always right, and it is good that someone who knows more can guide you, teach you and direct you to better places and people.
8. Never EVER lose the Hope
This tip applies to each and every life situation. When there are no answers from a job, when you are waiting for something to happen, when you think you have done everything in your hands and under your control, but you lost all energies… please DO NOT LOSE HOPE. Keep studying, speaking up, sleep a little bit, drink a coffee / or a tea, and start again, with a smile. The smile is the most powerful tool in the world you have to counteract bad happenings and bad feelings. ( and if still does not help, put a song from the playlist below and dance to it!)
9. Adapt to different situations
If you a “traveler soul”, it is extremely important to learn to adapt to new situations, to be flexible and take some extra time to understand the dynamics and then take action. As we are growing older, we cannot be reckless and jump into conclusions, we should start thinking twice. The theory i elaborated is to take 3 days to make a definite decision: you think about it deeply the first day, you forget about it the second day, and- with your fresh mind, you make the decision on the third day. It can actually be a success.
10. Make time for you (do not be swamped by others- the problems are many, the solutions need to be carefully evaluated)
Especially in Africa, where everyone is always in the streets, they come and greet you, you go and greet people, conversations tend to open up quite easily and all of a sudden you start thinking about the conditions of other people’s lives, what they have been through, feeling empathic, and wishing to help. CAREFUL: we came to Africa to work and to do good to others, but there is a way to tell things, and other ways to burden your soul with questioning. It is important to learn the Buddhist art/philosophy of detachment, where you fully listen, are compassionate and understanding, but do not let emotions and feelings of others jump into you and influence you. This is one of the challenges of living life anyways. If you can be calm and peaceful in your mind, you can take in many notions, learnings, people’s stories, without any personal expectation of you to be there always present, but having the precious time to think about what goes on, and then, being ready and energetic to help with all your forces, with free mind and light heart.
11. High Dreams come with High Sacrifice. But it is worth the ride.
If you really want to make a beautiful and lifelong impact on people’s lives, you need to sacrifice yourself first, moving from one place to another, perhaps feeling lonely and not having always a loved one close to you, able to cheer you up and tell you “good, go ahead, great”. Encouragement is really important. I feel that inside encouragement and self-esteem really play a great role here. If developed- in harsh situation we all do- it is useful to live life and get to know what you truly want and how to achieve it.
12. Keep your Compass, Follow your Path, do some self-reflections and Keep your Heart Full of Passions
To keep your path you need to reflect. As each end of the day, we dream of something, we pray and we thank for the day, grateful and self-reflection are two of the assets that keep the heart full of passion, energy and willingness to continue in the path, to wake up everyday with motivation, energy and smile to go ahead (Andiamo Avanti, as my dad used to tell me everytime i was daydreaming about something) and pursue your dreams ( of unity, team work, happiness and improvement of the world- no more wars, no more climate change, no more hatred).
13. Learn the art of Humility: Do not criticize what you do not understand
Many times, especially when we grow older, we already come to a new place with our opinions about specific topics. We accumulated knowledge and experiences therefore it is very normal that we can fall into the trap of criticism, prejudices and jumping into conclusion in a fraction of second, not even considering what other people may think and say. For this, a high dose of humility and listening need to be applied in every situation. Calm and Patience play a key role. If we are happy people, we want to engage in conversation, we speak our mind and we make sure we make a good point and argument to defend our points.Then, “pour la force des choses”- for necessity- people need to come to agreements- to live well and in harmony in society.
14. Be Organized, & Be ready
I have always be a fan of the movie “La ragazza con la valigia” – a Girl with a suitcase, a 1961 Italian romantic drama film by Italian director Valerio Zurlini starring Claudia Cardinale, and this is the portray i have of myself. A girl ready to go, pack your stuff, and be ready for a new adventure, that can open doors to the new marvelous opportunities. So , do not be fearful, and GO!
15. If you have a Problem, Speak UP
Sometimes in life we tend to want to solve problems by ourselves, without asking for help. I think (and I learned) that people can actually help you out and make your life easier, faster and lighter ( above all when we are talking about Africa!)
16. Do not be scared. In Fears, Opportunities. In Curiosity, Learnings
In Chinese, crisis is composed by two characters- Danger and Opportunity. As I read the other day a blog post by Paulo Coelho and a Buddha Doodle image ( very nice) I am persuaded and I believe that Danger is High, but Life is One and Opportunities can be Many. So, if we believe in numbers and maths, danger can be a huge big one, but then opportunities can be multiples, small and big, so it is worth taking the risk.
17. Have Faith & Trust People
This is exactly how you open your arms, and you fall in love. Each and every time. And how each African person falls in love with you, and you fall in love with them. And this is the reason why the journey- perhaps it is full of new challenges and tough conditions- must continue. The travel has only started. Armed with faith, trust and loving the universe, we must go on!
Some wonderful photos of Senegal that will stay forever in my heart (Island of Gorée, sunset at Ngor, singing & writing lyrics of popular songs, Heart graffiti in Virage and Sunday mass service).
The playlist of the 17 days, 17 songs to remember this year ( marking moments, dreaming, being in company, dancing & singing).
- I learned from the Best– Whitney Houston
- Sing it back– Moloko
- Don’t you know– Kungs feat. Jamie N. Commons
- Chillin’– Modjo
- Blow your mind– Dua Lipa
- Sun goes down– Robin Schulz feat. Jasmine Thomson
- Lovefool– The Cardigans
- Mira como vuelo– Miss Caffeina
- Unfinished sympathy– Massive Attack
- Teardrop– Massive Attack
- Enjoy the ride– Morcheeba
- The sea– Morcheeba
- Suit & Tie– Justin Timberlake
- What U Workin’ With? – Gwen Stefani & Justin Timberlake Trolls (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Don’t want to go home– Jason Derulo
- Memories– David Guetta feat:Kid Cudi
- Antes que no– David Bisbal
Three bonus tracks 🙂 (Music & Love are endless, can never get enough!)
Thank you to all who made this possible.
Jërëjëf Dakar!
“Buddha kid” inside my soul, a flame that is already ready to smile, bring positive energy, listen and hug people and the world around. If we instill this flame and make people dream of possible solutions, of a real world that are in our minds, we can make change happen and things come true ( just imagine Mr. Disney and his imaginary dreams…and now we all experience his dreams into fun theme parks, sharing happiness of families and kids!)
The Lighthouse 